Multi-level car parking may soon become a reality

The search for space to park vehicles in RS Puram, Town Hall or Cross Cut Road is expected to come to an end soon as the Coimbatore Corporation is all set to float tenders for building multi-level car parking facilities in the city.

The tender document is with the authorities concerned, pending approval in Chennai. Once they give the nod and the Tamil Nadu Investment Development Board also gives the green signal, the civic body will float the tender the very next day, says Commissioner K. Vijayakarthikeyan.

The tender document will pave way for the construction of three multi-level car parking lots on B.B. Street (Town Hall), Cross Cut Road (Gandhipuram) and D.B. Road (R.S. Puram) at over Rs. 130 crore.

Sources say that the D.B. Road multi-level car parking system has been designed to accommodate 1,990 two-wheelers and 979 four-wheelers. It will be a four-storey structure costing Rs. 69.80 crore.

The Cross Cut Road multi-level car parking system has been designed to house 1,466 two-wheelers and 847 four-wheelers. It will be a five-storey structure costing Rs. 32.99 crore.

The B.B. Street parking facility has been designed to accommodate 1,341 two-wheelers and 483 four-wheelers. It will be a four-storey structure costing Rs. 28.84 crore.

Mr. Vijayakarthikeyan says that the contractor(s) winning the bids for the three parking lots will have to design, build, finance, operate, and transfer the facilities to the civic body after the end of the period.

The Corporation has designed the facilities in such a way that two or three floors are reserved for commercial use, which the contractor(s) winning the bid can let out for commercial activity and gain rent. But the contractor(s) will have to share a portion of the rent with the civic body.

Corporation officials say that the Cross Cut Road multi-level parking lot is expected to de-congest Tatabad, Ramnagar, Gandhipuram and Pappanaickenpalayam; the B.B. Road parking lot is expected to impact Ramanathapuram, N.H. Road, V.H. Road and Oppanakkara Street; and, the D.B. Road parking lot Ukkadam, Gandhi Park, Selvapuram, Thadagam Road and Flower Market.

They, however, add that the success of the project lies in the hands of the Coimbatore City Traffic Police who will have to strictly enforce parking rules.